"I hae opened up 3 of the 'free'or about $ 6 if just bought ones and they
all have an adjustment pot. They all seem to be close enough compaired
to my Fluke that I did not do any adjustment to that pot.

Have you actully opened up any ? "

About three of them, no pots.

Of course that does not mean they're all the same, I have encountered two distinct types at least, one has a power switch and the other simply has an "off" position on the range switch. (which I do not prefer)

Perhaps they were well hidden. At any rate, one pot for the whole thing would adjust all the ranges, so if only certain ranges are off then something else is wrong.

There are probably many different versions of these things. At work I stumbled across a Craftsman meter which is about the spitting image of one of these, but then we know Sears stuff is built by the lowest bidder. However I haven't taken that one apart, it works, I will see the inside when the battery dies I guess. It could be totally different but really I do not see the reason why. When they work right they seem to really work right, they agree with my decent Fluke and they agree with my buddy's even better Fluke.

I had one that would not zero on any range, they said don't even bother to send it back, they just sent a new one. Throwaway test equipment, ever thought you'd see it ?

But then a $300 guitar can be throwaway as well, really. My buddy bought an Ibanez acoustic with the electronic pickups. Sounded great actually, like a miced guitar and not much feedback. But the electronics quite. He calls and they gave him a full refund and said not to even bother sending it back. I bought it thinking maybe I would fix the pickup but never got to it, so I have me a decent acoustic. And that prick made $100 off of me. It does play really well though. He should have sold it to me for $50 though. But really, I started taking that guitar apart and the way they put the pickup in pretty much precluded any type of repairs. I swear, it should be illegal for electronics manufacturers to be in possession of any type of glue, and I mean death by slow torture for thee board of directors.